Italian police find $3.6 million in cash hidden in apartment’s walls, floors and furniture

Italian police uncovered a staggering €3.2 million ($3.6 million) in cash concealed within the walls, floors, and furniture of an apartment in Naples during a pre-dawn raid on Monday. The operation, the result of a months-long investigation led by Neapolitan anti-mafia prosecutor Nicola Gratteri, resulted in the arrest of 34 individuals.

The banknotes, wrapped in cellophane and meticulously organized into rows beneath floor and wall tiles, as well as hidden inside drawers of wardrobe closets, were seized in plastic mop buckets and transported to a secure location in an armored vehicle. In addition to the vast treasure trove of cash, law enforcement also recovered 11 luxury Rolex watches, weapons, and paraphernalia associated with drug trafficking.

The prosecutor attributed the success of the operation to the use of wiretaps on the cellphones of incarcerated mobsters, a technique that had been acquired from relatives smuggling phones into the prison. Gratteri emphasized the significance of the seizure, stating that the immense cash haul and valuable timepieces were discovered within a single residence, underscoring the extent of the criminal operation under investigation.